The economic consequences of AIDS mortality in South Africa

Abstract

We quantify the impact of adult deaths on household economic wellbeing, using a large longitudinal dataset spanning more than a decade. Verbal autopsies allow us to distinguish AIDS mortality from that due to other causes. The timing of the lower socioeconomic status observed for households with AIDS deaths suggests that the socioeconomic gradient in AIDS mortality is being driven primarily by poor households being at higher risk for AIDS, rather than AIDS impoverishing the households. Following a death, households that experienced an AIDS death are observed being poorer still. However, the additional socioeconomic loss following an AIDS death is very similar to the loss observed from sudden death. Funeral expenses can explain some of the impoverishing effects of death in the household. In contrast, the loss of an employed member cannot. To date, antiretroviral therapy has not changed the socioeconomic status gradient observed in AIDS deaths.

Mortality in South Africa: Socio-economic profile and association with self-reported health

“…The gap in educational attainment is widest in the age range where AIDS is the leading cause of death. These results are consistent with Ardington et al (2012) who document a strong socioeconomic gradient for AIDS deaths in particular.…”

“…These patterns in education by age reinforce our assumption that mortality rates are likely to be lower amongst those whose vital status is unknown. Using longitudinal data with cause of death information from rural KwaZulu-Natal, Ardington et al (2012) find that individuals who die of AIDS have significantly lower levels of education. In Figure 2, the gap in educational attainment between the deceased and those known to be alive is widest in early- to middle-adulthood, the age at which the vast majority of AIDS deaths occur.…”

“…Their measures of socioeconomic status are also limited to an indicator of some primary education and rural/urban location. Using longitudinal data from a demographic surveillance site in rural KwaZulu-Natal, Ardington et al (2012) investigate the socioeconomic correlates and consequences of death by cause and find that individuals who will die of AIDS have less education and come from poorer households. At a national level, South African official death notification data provides the basic demographic characteristics of the deceased but the vital registration system does not collect socioeconomic information 1 or measures of health prior to death.…”

Socio‐economic differences in HIV/AIDS mortality in South Africa

“…In the present meta‐analysis, we looked at SES as a predictor of HIV/AIDS‐related mortality. Even though all studies employed some version of a longitudinal design, SES does not only influence HIV/AIDS mortality risk but an HIV/AIDS case in the household impacts its SES .…”

Orphans and Pro‐social Behaviour: Evidence from Uganda

“…While our paper is not directly about the economic impact of HIV/AIDS, one can frame our work as contributing to this literature as well. Direct effects, such as labour supply (Oliva, ; Thirumurthy, Zivin, & Goldstein, ), wages (Chicoine, ), worker absenteeism (Habyarimana, Mbakile, & Pop‐Eleches, ), human capital investments (Evans & Miguel, ; Novella, ), growth (Corrigan, Glomm, & Mendez, ) and household impoverishment (Ardington, Barninghausen, Case, & Menendez, ) have been identified. We contribute, then, by identifying another important spillover effect of the disease.…”